Tennessee Home & Farm Radio

National FFA President Thaddeus Bergschneider is in Gatlinburg this week for the 97th annual Tennessee FFA Convention. Bergschneider says Tennessee has something special and is doing a lot right in training up the next generation of agriculture.

Emma Grace Meadows of the North Green FFA Chapter is the 2025 State Star Greenhand. She was announced as the State Star Greenhand at the FFA Convention taking place in Gatlinburg this week. Meadows explains what it means to her to win this high honor, and talks about her love for agriculture and FFA.

Around seven thousand Tennessee FFA students are in Gatlinburg this week for the annual Tennessee FFA Convention. Tennessee FFA State President, T. Wayne Williams, explains what we can expect over the next three days.

This week at the state capitol, Greg Whitehead, the Special Agent in charge of Tennessee’s Ag Crime Unit, gave a presentation to the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on the response he and several of his officers provided to the ag community in Northeast Tennessee in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

The first ever, state-wide Tennessee Ag and Forestry Leadership program has begun for 19 individuals across the state.

In correlation with National Ag Day, the annual Ag Day On The Hill took place at the capitol in Nashville. Lawmakers got to interact with farmers and some of the livestock they brought to celebrate our states number one industry.

It’s been about two weeks since USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a plan to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza and bring egg prices down at the grocery store. Already consumers are seeing a little relief, but prices still remain at record highs.

Farmers and ranchers received welcome news from the Environmental Protection Agency this week. Chad Smith has more.

The Farmland Conservation Act passed in the Tennessee State Senate. The next hurdle for the bill will be passing in the State House. Governor Bill Lee and Lawmakers who support the bill discuss why this bill is so important for preserving agriculture as Tennessee’s number one industry.

This week farm bureau leaders from across the state have been on capitol hill in Nashville visiting with their lawmakers to make sure their voice is heard when it comes to legislation affecting the agricultural industry.

The 78th Annual Tennessee 4-H Congress wrapped up by electing three new officers. The new officers are Kaylin Osterhouse – Speaker of the Senate, Harrison Crenshaw – Governor, Mehak Patel – Speaker of the House of Representatives. The new officers explain what it means to them to be elected to their positions and what they hope to accomplish in their year of service.

Callie Robinson of Franklin County and a junior at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville has just been named the American Farm Bureau’s National Collegiate Discussion Meet winner.

Gov. Bill Lee took time recently to visit with Woolfolk Farms in Madison County to help promote legislation he’s proposing with his Farmland Conservation Act.

All eyes remain on trade as President Trump continues to talk about and impose reciprocal tariffs on nations we trade with. Farmers are uneasy with the talk of tariffs, but NASDA CEO, Ted McKinney, is advising everyone to remain patient.

Marlene Eick is the Senior Director of Leadership Development for the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. She recently spoke at the Tennessee Young Leaders Conference sharing with young people there the importance of making connections and forming new relationships.

A lot of talk among farmers and in Washington on international trade and tariffs. And there’s concern among many in agriculture about the impacts for U.S. farmers, especially those that raise cotton and soybeans.

Row crop farmers attending the 73rd annual Mid-South Farm & Gin Show in Memphis has a bleak outlook on the upcoming growing season. With input costs remaining high and commodity prices low, growers are preparing for a tough year for the second time in a row. There is some hope though, as USDA Secretary brooke Rollins recently announced plans for farmers being able to begin applying for money from the $10 billion passed in relief aid at the end of 2024.

Another year means another class of West Tennessee Ag Star leadership participants – a program for agricultural leaders in West Tennessee who go through this program to better communicate and lead the industry.

USDA recently announced a $1 billion dollar plan to combat bird flu and lower the price of eggs. Tennessee farmers with laying hens explain the steps they’re taking to keep bird flu out of their flock & USDA Chief of Staff, Kailee Tkacz Buller, details the billion dollar plan get rid of it.

Tennessee’s 7th District Congressman Dr. Mark Green was recently recognized once again as a Friend of Farm Bureau for his voting record during the 118th Congress.

Paul Binkley had a successful 45 year career with the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative. he was recently honored for his years of service to the co-op system at the Tennessee Council of Cooperatives Young Leaders Conference.

Young adults from across Tennessee recently gathered in Franklin for the Tennessee Council of Cooperatives Young Leaders Conference. The conference featured speakers to help inform and educate attendees on how to be vocal leaders in their communities.

Brooke Rollins has officially become the next Secretary of Agriculture, with plenty to do already.

The 44th annual Tennessee FFA Legislative Breakfast was held yesterday at the capitol, as the state officers have been traveling on their Good Will tour as part of National FFA week.

Celebrating National FFA Week across Tennessee as the state officers have been on their annual Goodwill Tour sharing the incredible success of this important youth organization.

The 114th Tennessee General Assembly is off and running at our state’s capitol as lawmakers discuss and debate issues that could become law. And they do that through the committee process and this session finds Shane Reeves of Murfreesboro chairing the Senate’s Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources committee.

Over the weekend, areas in Obion and Gibson counties and beyond were hit with a lot of rainfall on areas already saturated from previous rains causing the Obion River and tributaries to spill out of their banks and flood a wide area of mostly rural farmland.

Those blue jackets are celebrating this week during National FFA Week. Members of the state officer team will be traveling the state on their Goodwill Tour, visiting with FFA members, supporters and sponsors.

Gov. Bill Lee’s proposed budget for this next year includes $92 million dollars that would help revitalize and equip six youth education camps across the state.

Planting season is just around the corner and cotton growers are already preparing. Many cotton farmers gathered at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center earlier this week for the annual Cotton Focus meeting. Experts gave an outlook on what the upcoming growing season might look like from a price standpoint, and gave an outline of ways to cut down on input expenses.

Gov. Bill Lee in his state of the state address this week reiterated his desire for the Tennessee General Assembly to approve a farmland conservation act to help fight the loss of productive farmland across the state.

More than 250 FFA and 4-H kids recently attended UT Ag Night. The students got to tour Neyland Stadium, listen to a career panel on potential careers in agriculture, and attend the UT men’s basketball game against Missouri.

For more than 30 years UT Extension has put on the West Tennessee Grain Conference in Dyersburg. This years meeting was focused on the upcoming growing season and improving farmers financial situations.